Violence and Judgment

Well, been off visiting youngest daughter who has a new coffee pot you’d have to see to believe. So while drinking fancy coffee I started thinking about why all of my contemplations of the past few months have been so important, i.e., the ideas of evil and forgiveness and how these things are represented in the life and death of Jesus.

When I look at what I see and hear of Christianity in our modern world it seems to be dominated by the idea of judgment and violence. Old ways of thinking about why Jesus died and how that suffering has set things on the proper road towards rescuing all of creation paints a violent, helpless picture of God held hostage by a vaporous power of evil. In such I find little redeeming value. If Jesus is the symbol of God’s love and compassion how can we say then that such a God would require suffering and violence?

Thinking that violence can in anyway lead to peace now or eternal peace later just doesn’t equate in my thinking. The violence committed against Jesus is not what God intended or designed. I don’t see it even as a “fallback” plan in light of a first case scenario falling through. The violence against the good Jesus did is characteristic of humanity’s greatest fault. Fear that we will lose place or power makes it convenient to reason that we will overcome our fears through violence.

To further justify this violence with an appeal to some sense of cosmic justice that will re-balance the scales of human corruption also violates the basic tenants of our image of God. If God is truly the one, true power in the universe then nothing else can hold God to a standard that violates God’s nature.

Will we be held accountable for the injustices we do in the world? Of course we will just as we are everyday of our lives. We cannot live in a way that violates the fabric of creation’s intent without somehow harming ourselves. Our selfishness and greed may harm the least powerful at first but it will also catch us up in its web of self-deceit. The appearance that some get away with their crimes is just that, appearance only.

Now, where did I put that cup?

Comments

  1. BelindaSeptember 1, 2009 at 6:31 PM

    I like your blog and this message...look forward to following it more often.
    Belinda

    ReplyDelete
  2. jlgOctober 23, 2009 at 8:07 AM

    Can you elaborate on your thoughts as to "why Jesus died" in reference to paragraph two. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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